VSC likewise acknowledges the injustice done to Black and other people of color during the unconscionable era of segregation when this theater divided and distanced its patrons by separating their seating areas (Blacks in the balcony; whites in the orchestra). May we learn from grave errors of the past to build a just and more loving society.
Virginia Stage Company
Anti-Racism Team Statement
28 January 2021
Since its founding over forty years ago, Virginia Stage Company has been a place where our community can hear stories, be entertained, and continue conversations long after the curtain falls. We share a vision that locally produced, live, professional theatre will bring together our richly diverse community.
The collective grief, rage, and passion expressed to the field by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) theatremakers illuminate the gap between the theatre we actually are and the professional, equitable, and just theatre we aspire to be.
We commit to work actively against systemic racism; to listen to our community and colleagues to identify how we fall short; and to develop systems and metrics that will hold us accountable. We have formed an Anti-Racism Team (ART), composed of board members, staff, and community stakeholders charged with leading this effort. Concurrently, our staff has been meeting weekly since last summer to address specific grievances outlined by BIPOC artists and allies as we navigate together towards a more just future for theatre.
We look forward to hearing from all of you as we work to make real and lasting change at Virginia Stage Company.
